Gloomy Rathleton… is it though?
INTRO
It is a phrase you can hear so often from decorators. And actually, it is hardly surprising, as the architecture of the city is indeed the darkest among all existing cities in Tibia. The little greenery and the dark blue walls, decorated with Steampunk details, give the impression of a rather unfriendly environment. But is it really impossible to create an attractive decoration in such surroundings? In this article, we will try to disenchant this unfavorable opinion of Rathleton, show you the advantages and disadvantages of the city, and provide you with plenty of inspiration that you can use. So read on!
house decoration by Kriiz Meow
To get to know Oramond better, it is worth finding out what its creators based its character and appearance on. Steampunk, as it is referred to, is a stylistic trend in culture (including literature, film, and comics) which is a variant of cyberpunk, but refers to the industrial revolution in the Victorian Era. The name itself is derived from the word “steam” and is closely associated with the steam engines so characteristic of the ‘age of steam’. Although Steampunk is a genre of science fiction, one looks in vain for electronics and computers. What distinguishes this style is a technical revolution based on mechanics and machines.
Characteristics of this style are:
steam engines, pressure gauges, and lots of pipes, flying machines such as airships, balloons, lots of gears, chains, and complex constructions made of them, a gloomy color scheme based on grey, dark blue, green and, in the case of machines, brown and gold, elegant clothing (topper hats, gowns with corsets) combined with the attributes of pilots (leather elements, flight goggles).
“Mr. Loddington Goes to Work” by Domigorgon
source: DeviantART
“Lyonesse City” by FlavioBolla
source: DeviantART
So let’s look for Steampunk (or rather “Gloothpunk”!) style features in Rathleton! And if you know the city even a little bit, a few examples will surely come to mind quickly!
Walking through the Rathleton Workshops (or rather, fleeing from the mago-mechanic creatures that are hungry for our death), we run into a multitude of mechanical constructions made of pipes from which hot steam is gushing. The architecture is designed in a color scheme of grey and dark blue, the light gives a peculiar orange glow, and everything is topped off with metal figures, in a copper-brown color.
Finally, such an important motif for the Steampunk style – flying machines, balloons, airships – has also found its place in Tibia. Do you know a scientist named Zeronex? He is the one who researches the use of glooth gases hoping to develop a flying machine. And you can even find a prototype of a hot air balloon (Balloon Cloth) in his workshop!
The color of the walls, the style of the architecture, and the question of greenery are matters of taste. Some will love this city for its unique atmosphere, others will hate it. Let us, however, focus on the aspects of Rathleton that provide a comfortable environment from the player’s and the decorator’s point of view. To get opinions that are based on facts, not personal preferences, we asked players on TibiaQA about the pros and cons of having a house in Rathleton. Are you curious about the players’ answers? Check it out for yourself!
| ADVANTAGES | DISADVANTAGES |
|---|---|
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A significant number of houses (there are 16 houses in the city).
The absence of the “Leaves” that are so popular among decorators.＊
The ability to trade, access the ship and the choice of cities to sail to depends on the level of the Rathleton Quest. In order for a city to become convenient for the player, 300 votes are required at the magistrate.
house decoration by Makadamia
As you can see, the number of advantages independent of our taste for this city far outweighs the number of disadvantages.
Rathleton is objectively quite a convenient place for a player to live. Plenty of hunting grounds, convenient transport, and shopping for supplies – this will make every player feel comfortable there. From a decorator’s point of view, it is important that Rathleton gives the ability to decorate houses without the need for huge amounts of Tibia Coins.
house decoration by Mythmine
house decoration by Mythmine
In the city of Rathleton, there are a really huge number of pushable objects that we can use to decorate and they are completely free! They appear in the city with each floor reset. In addition, we are able to bring many decorative objects from the areas of Oramond Island: the Rathleton Slum and the Rathleton Workshops. Both areas are quite close to the city and the houses themselves, making it unnecessary to push objects all over the Tibia map! We can decorate the space in the house with the much-loved Areca Palm, Ficus Benjamina. We also have quite a wide range of furniture to choose from!
Drawer Cabinet
Pendulum Clock
Standing Mirror
Wooden Trunk
Wooden Trunk
Taboret
Timber Chair
house decoration by Norelli
Oramond is also famous as a place where we can get quite a few decorative items, not found anywhere else on the map. And their advantage is that we can take them with us really anywhere! This island is a real feast for the decorator looking for attractive accessories, which can be obtained simply by taking them from certain places, buying them, or doing quests.
Twenty Miles Beneath the Sea Quest Items
The Orb of Darkness Eternal
The Orb of Life Everchanging
The Orb of Light Undying
Nacre Slab
Nacre Slab
Nacre Slab
Sea Ear
Oramond Quest Items
Bundle of Letters
Glooth Potion
Pint of Glooth
Steel Spider Silk
Crimson Crest Mushroom
Other Items
house decoration by Makadamia
Light effects are something that can make our decorations much more interesting! Admittedly, players generally don’t use this option in their day-to-day gameplay, as it is problematic, especially in dungeons and caves, where it significantly reduces visibility during hunts. However, when spending time between one hunt and another decorating our house, it is worth considering whether to accentuate our arrangement with items with visible light exposure. Perhaps by taking a screenshot of our decoration, it is the lighting that will make the decoration magically special!
Light effects: hot or not? – Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this.
USE IT  ️ |
SKIP IT  |
|---|---|
| If you plan to make a decoration that contrasts with the dark walls of the building (where the floors will be light and the colors of the other objects will be vivid), then lighting effects will perfectly emphasize such an arrangement and make it gain depth! The walls will become slightly darker and the décor will get even more color from the objects that emit light. | Given that the city itself is quite dark, lighting effects may not only fail to help brighten up our decoration but also make it even more gloomy! So take care not to use them if you have chosen dark floors and dark furniture. Avoid light effects when your decoration has a small color palette based solely on objects in dark shades. |
As you can see, lighting effects are something that should be individually adapted to our project. They can prove to be a brilliant way to embellish our decoration and create a “WOW!” effect, but they can also destroy the whole concept that we have spent a lot of time on. We hope you find the above tips helpful in making this decision.
house decoration by Patyh
house decoration by Patyh
❝ In my opinion, Rathelton has the best house designs that the game offers. It also has the best guildhall that can exist in all of Tibia: “Bronze Brothers Bastion”. If you are a decorator, this city offers us some missions to be able to collect decoration items daily such as the “Soothe Bloom”, “Dinky Moss Floret Garland”, and “Glooth Potion”, among others. It also spawns the “Balloon Cloth” daily! It has very good places to take screenshots with your friends in the Rathleton Magistrate area! Rathleton’s main disadvantage is that citizenship requires too many tasks to do. People might think that it’s a bit annoying to complete them all, but they are necessary to unlock points for various accesses. If you don’t have the points, you can just travel from Thais. ❞
Amy Meow
❝ Imagine a combination of industrial revolution elements and fiction elements: a city full of gears, machines, technological gadgets, and steam engines that can take you anywhere! There is such a place, and it is Rathleton! The buildings are imposing, with stone walls carefully carved to create a safe home. The presence of treated wood on the doors and on the upper floor brings a cozy feeling. The steep roofs “embrace” a charming attic. There are several copper statues that make up the peculiar scenery of the place. The buildings have dark and discreet neutral tones (a place with a more sepia/grey color palette guarantees a highlight for the decoration). Details that make the difference: many houses have an attic and a balcony. Welcome to the city where the past meets the future! ❞
Endless Snow
house decoration by Monzcarro Murcatto
house decoration by Monzcarro Murcatto
❝ I love Rathleton houses because the dark walls make perfect backdrops for any style and make all colors seem more vibrant. In white houses, I often feel the need to cover the walls, but in Rathleton I can hang a single NPC-bought painting above a table and be thrilled because it looks so elegant. The houses are very roomy without any odd angles, and the window design is super sophisticated. Throw in the possibility of finding lots of free dark wood furniture, golden chairs, and dark green plants to make lush backgrounds for any kind of precious items, and Rathleton easily becomes my favorite city to decorate in. ❞
Monzcarro Murcatto
house decoration by Monzcarro Murcatto
❝ I didn’t like the houses in Rathleton because they were too dark for me. I’ve always preferred bright rooms. The biggest advantage of the houses in Rathleton is their size, in this respect, they are perfect for decorators. This is also one of the reasons why I decided to buy a house there. My first decoration in Rathleton completely changed my point of view! I poured my heart into creating a Christmas decoration, unsure if it would turn out well. However, when I saw the final result, I was overjoyed! The house felt warm, inviting, and filled with holiday cheer. Now, I can’t wait to continue decorating and exploring the many possibilities that my Rathleton house has to offer! ❞
Norelli
❝ Rathleton is one of my favourite towns because of the sheer size of its houses, as well as the wide variety of items that can be found throughout the town, such as plants, tables, mirrors and much more. But it’s not all good, as I’m a big fan of putting all my characters below level 50, as I love to keep the beds filled, but getting to the city at that level is a challenge. ❞
Milny
house decoration by Makadamia
❝ My favorite city for as long as I can remember is Rathleton. It was introduced shortly after I started my adventure with Tibia and I immediately liked the steampunk atmosphere and the dark blue walls. In addition, the surfaces of the houses give a lot of room for creativity. The city also offers a wide (though incomplete, as in the case of the mainland) selection of pushable objects that can be used to enhance your decoration, such as Areca Palm – one of my favorite decorative items! If I had only one house, it would be there! ❞
Makadamia, How to Become a Decorator in Tibia
❝ Unfortunately, in Rathleton there are no Leaves. I love them, but Areca Palms works too! I love those grey walls and the dark and deep ambient light from that city. It’s funny because I like some purple/pink items, however, I don’t like something too girly, full of white walls and bright light… So Rathleton fits perfectly for me. It’s a great balance between cute & dark, yet not too cute and not too dark, haha! ❞
Kriiz Meow, How to Become a Decorator in Tibia
Are you curious about more decorations that Rathleton house owners have created? Well, that’s great, because we’ve gathered a really large number of them with care to inspire you with arrangements of the highest quality. There is sure to be something for everyone here!
OUTRO
As you can see, Rathleton evokes a variety of feelings, but its gloomy atmosphere is highly overrated. We hope that with this article we have proved that this city offers great opportunities for decorations and has somewhat disenchanted the stereotypes. After all, the dark walls and lack of greenery are the perfect contrast to colorful decorations full of plants and fresh flowers. So don’t be limited by other people’s opinions. Let your imagination run wild! And Rathleton will give you the space to do so.
house decoration by Vussia
SPECIAL THANKS
We would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts Amy Meow, Endless Snow, Kriiz Meow, Milny, Monzcarro Murcatto, Mythmine, Norelli, Patyh, Ryocrits, Vigorouz, and Vussia for taking the time to share their opinion and/or screenshots with amazing decorations straight from Rathleton city!
author: Makadamia